Posts Tagged ‘Wasabi Anime’

Origins Game Fair returns this Wednesday June 14th to Sunday June 18th at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. Origins is the longest-running and largest convention for people who enjoy games. There is so much to do over the five days that I could go on for pages, but I am of course just going to focus on anime and Japanese related events and games.

The Anime Track is being ran by Wasabi Anime again this year. They will be running events from Thursday to Sunday. They will be showing Anime Music Videos ever day, a manga library, and a viewing room sponsored by Viz, Funimation, and AnimEigo. Though I will say last year the library was a big disappoint me quality and selection. Let’s hope for more this year. Panels for this year cover such topics as Voltron, Yu Yu Hakusho, Transformers, tea, a Cowboy Bebop listening party, Anime Name That Tune, and many more.

They will also be running sessions of various anime related games for free; Mangaka, Ryuutama, Golden Sky Stories, Maid RPG, and Tanto Coure. All the other games at the con will cost at least $2, most will cost even more.

For Collectable Games, both Konami and Pokémon running many sessions of their games. Demo games to learn Yu-Gi-Oh or Pokémon, tournaments of various styles and levels, and plenty of pick-up games. Also games and tournaments for Dice Masters, which had a Yu-Gi-Oh set.

For Role Playing Games there are a few that are of interest to this blog including some sessions of Kuro and sessions of Advanced Dimensional Green Ninja-Educational Preparatory Super-Elementary Fortress 555 (ADGNEPSEF555) where you play in an anime-themed cross-dimensional grade school. It is very weird.

There will be some Pokémon LARP sessions using DSes and a LARP for the ADGNEPSEF universe.

For Miniatures Games, you will have four chances to play a Starblazers game and learn Infinity a new manga inspired game. Heroclix will have some tournaments to play in, they also had a Yu-Gi-Oh expansion set.

If you are interested in board games, they have you covered there too. Cool Mini or Not will be running games and tournaments of Arcadia Quest and Masmorra Dungeons of Arcadia. Japanime Games will be doing learn to plays and tournaments of Tanto Cuore (various sets) and Heart of Crown. The games available to try are Pokemon Master Trainer, Resident Evil Deck Building Game, Hatsune Miku (a new co-op game), Cowboy Bebop: The Board Game, Era of the Ninja, Super Dungeon Explore, and more.

Plus do not forget all the dealers that will be there with many of the above games and others.

Origins is a great convention to go to, but it does take a bit of money to go and survive. But it is worth it.

Orgins Game Fair is this June 15th through the 19th at Columbus Convention Center in Columbus. It is one the largest gathering of gamers and games in the country and they have some anime/Japanese themed games and events for all.

Last year they started Anime themed programming by partnering with Wasabi Anime, local anime conventions, and others. This year they have expanded that programming. There will be panels, screenings, workshops, a manga library, and more. They will have events Thursday through Saturday only though. They have the use of three rooms for events and the library. Special events include an Anime Name That Tune game show, Trulie Awesome Show (an anime inspired comedy duo), and playing anime games with the maids of Cafe Peitet Joy.

The Special Media Guests for this year’s con are two anime voice actors, Darren Dunstan and Wayne Grayson. Darren has voiced on Yu-Gi-Oh! (Pegasus), the 2003 TMNT (Splinter), Chaotic (Kaz), and several other 4Kids productions along with doing voice direction for a number of series. Wayne has done voice work for over 20 years, his best know work though is Yu-Gi-Oh! (Joey), Utena (Ruka), Samurai Deeper Kyo (Benitora), and the 2003 TMNT (Michelangelo). The two of them will only be there for Saturday and Sunday, helping to judge the costume contest, holding a Q&A, and a signing on Saturday. On Sunday they will be in the Konami area of Battelle Hall all day.

There are a few RPGs with anime themes. Kuro from Cubicle 7 has three different sessions to play, all starting at 8am though. Plus some Big Eye Small Mouth sessions, fantasy and post-apocalyptic ones. Windmill Game Co is running several sessions of their game Advanced Dimensional Green Ninja-Educational Preparatory Super-Elementary Fortress 555 (ADGNEPSEF555), which is designed as a free for all anime inspired game where anything should happen set in a school. They will also have game of it based around wuxia and henshin heroes too.

For those interested in LARPS there are some anime themed ones. The Pokémon company’s LARP is just having you challenge other players with your 3DS or 2DS and a copy of X, Y, Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire to collect gym badges to then beat the Elite Four and the Champion to win a prize. It goes on all day on Thursday through Sunday. Not really a traditional LARP unless you put some character into, which I think would be a lot of fun. A more traditional LARP is ADGNEPSEF555: The Movie!! The LARPening!!! on Sunday starting at noon. Inspired from the above RPG.

On the miniature side of things we have some unique items. One man has modified rules from other games to make his own Starblazer’s space game (two sessions) and Area 88 fighter plane game (one session). Cool Mini or Not has some “miniature figure board games” to check out too. Arcade Quest about playing a guild of heroes fighting evil, Rivet Wars a sort of WWI battle with cute and wacky figures, and Kaosball a fantasy sport league. Plus Super Dungeon Explorer and Ninja All-Stars from Ninja Division.

Board throughout the long weekend include Kitsune: of Foxes and Fools (the only game actual using the Anime track listing), Lanterns: The Harvest Festival Tournament, King of Tokyo games, Hanabi, and Samurai Spirit.

There will also be videoing too. Pokémon handheld, Mario Kart, Pokken, Smash Bros, Street Fighter, and a retro game challenge tournaments are all planned.

Early Bird registration pricing ends tomorrow, so sorry this is so late. Ribbons, generics, and event registration will not be available online. Badge Registration will remain open through the show though.

This is a con for all fans of gaming to check out at least once. Though it can get a bit expensive of five days. I will actually be at this one. I have not been for a few years so I am excited for it.